Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Caricatures, snow cones, and YL girls

The last project for 8th grade art students is to draw a caricature of a teacher and then they give the drawing to the teacher to hang up in their classroom. This year I had a group of awesome girls choose me in different art periods. In the past couple weeks they've come up to tell me the progress they're making or a new idea they just thought of to have me wear overalls or put me at YL camp. I love these drawings because they're from girls I've gotten to know so well in the past two years through class, Friendship Bracelet Club, and bible study. I'm so sad that I won't see them every single day anymore but so thankful that most of them will become my Young Life girls for the next couple years.

Each girl came to my class to bring me their picture and I was so impressed over and over again. As I've gotten to know them they've really gotten to know me so well too.

*In several pictures I have bunny ears because of the game that you match people up with an animal they look like. A group of girls that come to my SLT decided I'm a baby bunny and they all have their own animal too featured in a few below.

When the final bell rang we flushed the kids out of the school and all the teachers waved good-bye to the buses. It still feels surreal that another school year is finished and I won't be going back to teach tomorrow. I don't know how long that will take to sink in.

Weirder still, I will probably never see room 201 again, at least for a very long time. When I come back we'll be in the new builder and this stack of boxes will hopefully be waiting for safe and sound in my brand-new room 124.

Right after school I changed into summer clothes and rode my bike to meet Alli and her friend Isabella for a celebratory snow cone to start off the summer. I have loved getting to hang out with Alli so often in Indy and growing so much closer this year. She is wonderful. We're thrilled that the next time we see each other will be during week one of camp when she arrives for Day Camp training.

Then I had one last dinner with all the Senior girls. I feel so blessed that I've gotten to hang out with this group all year long over dinners and frozen yogurt, in Campaigners circles, during long road trips, dancing in YL Clubs, and going on adventures. They have taught me so much about being a leader, a friend, and someone continually want to live a more authentic relationship with Christ. I know we'll stay in touch and hopefully see many of them again before they head off to college in the Fall.

About Me

I believe in a life of faith and celebration filled with the people I love. One of my campers once told me, "My favorite times of the year are when our lives overlap." I want to live a life where I purposefully overlap with the people I care about and I prioritize relationships. I have been blessed to become friends with some incredible people.